The Dish: Patbingsu

Patbingsu is just one of many red-bean based desserts in Korea. Pat ) is red azuki bean, boiled and sweetened to make a paste which is then layered atop bingsu, or shaved ice. The ice itself is sweetened with condensed milk and makes for a lighter tasting treat than those ice cream sandwiches you’ve wolfed down in summers past. Topped with some rice cake, or ddeok, for texture, this treat will cool and refresh.

Much like iced coffee confections, bingsu variations abound. Nokcha (, green tea), coffee and fruit variations are the most popular, and perfect for those who aren’t keen on red bean or rice cake. Bingsu topped with frosted cereal and fruit is often served as a side dish in hofs and noraebangs, perfect for re-hydrating sun-parched bodies and for thinning the alcohol coursing through soju-lined veins. Like most Korean dishes, bingsu‘s made to share, so grab your besties and scoop up a bowl of bingsu, available at most bakeries, major restaurants, and cafes for 3,000 to 8,000 won. It would be a shame to leave Korea without trying the dessert that most of your students will list among their favorites!